Falling Slowly
by Theheroineinprogress
Summary: "You don't find love, it finds you. It's got a little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what's written in the stars." - Anais Nin
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Falling Slowly**

**Genre: Romance**

**Pairing: America x Belarus (AmeBel)**

**Rating: R-13 for profanities**

* * *

_"Maybe there's something you're afraid to say, _

_or someone you're afraid to love, _

_or somewhere you're afraid to go. _

_It's gonna hurt. _

_It's gonna hurt because it matters." _

**_- John Green_**

**_..._**

There is no such thing as a coincidence.

At least, that is what Alfred F. Jones has always told himself. Every little detail would twist and turn one's life into something more – or even less. Depending on the situation. For an example; detentions would not even happen in the first place if he behaved all too well in class. Or when he was ten, then he could have saved his puppy from being hit by a civic if he wasn't too ignorant to leave the front door open. There are always roots and causes to each and every action no matter how little or obscure they are to the human mind. It wasn't an opinion, but a fact.

And now, if he didn't act so much like a jerk to his brother, then he wouldn't even reach this point where he had to search for a book regarding how Canadians never even participated in the World War II just to prove his point. Being stubborn as he naturally is, the blonde man was determined to prove him wrong. Though it would only cost him a little patience to search for evidence in the library today.

Pushing the glass door open, he strut his way inside. Big blue eyes blinked at the image before him; a room filled with shelves and shelves containing more books at each section. The place isn't very classy, or modern – just another establishment with its dull, stale white walls covered with wooden shelves and dusty books. It certainly wasn't picture perfect. Whatever. It could at the least provide him of the _real_ proof (and not internet based because it isn't really reliable specially on this important case) he needs so he could get his ass off this place asap. For all he knew, the only people who stick with libraries are those smart, nerd kids or those old people who does not know how to work with the internet. As if this very place right here mattered. As if it could change his life in a moment.

Placing his earphones, the lad blasted his music as he began to search each and every ledge. Quietly tapping his fingers on the wooden frame with the beat of his song. Each track getting louder than the previous one, up to the point when he began humming along the lyrics without noticing the disturbance he's causing in the usually quiet place.

The "Shhhh"s and warnings of the librarians were left neglected as he jammed to his music. Head bobbing to the beat of the drums, feet shuffling a bit with his little dance. Alfred pulled out three books from their place, each about the WWII that would provide him of the 'evidence' he was looking for. The black and white photos on the cover featuring tanks, guns and soldiers are just perfect. Feeling giddy, he easily lost track of the number one most common library rule that every educated person know. The blonde punched a fist in the air with accordance to the drums of his music, hollering with glee along the vocalist.

Unaware of the angry clicks of shoes coming towards him, he jumped when one of his earphones was jammed out abruptly followed by a harsh twist of his right earlobe making him wince.  
"Shut up!" A quiet voice hissed.  
Blue eyes lowered to see a girl about his age, only a foot shorter, long platinum hair dangling down her waist. A pair of pink petal lips being complemented by her snow white skin. But what intrigued him most is her eyes. Those deep set of purple eyes glowering at him while he stared.  
"H-huh?" Alfred asked, dumb founded.  
"This is a library. Not a concert hall, idiot."  
Sure, she was pretty. Beautiful, even. But he found no attraction towards the belle. She just looked so… pissed. And certainly, her sour demeanor is definitely not complimenting her angelic features. Too bad.

Her twilight eyes are cold and hard, revealing her resentment for the guy. The American's curiosity perked up. Something about her eyes, those rich purple set of eyes… is so familiar to the lad. Little did he realize being lost into them for quite a while – the feeling of nostalgia creeping down his churned stomach. As if he has known her all too well before, yet meeting her for the first time all the same. An inexplicable rush washing through him.

"Will you stop staring?!"

It was then when he snapped out of his little illusion, blinking rapidly at her.  
"W-what?"  
Her frown was evident. Completely displeased, without meaning to even hide it out of proper manners. Really. _What a waste of beauty. _The male thought._  
_"Cut it out or I will blind you myself." There was a certain accent on her voice he couldn't well identify but it sounded like a thick Russian. And judging on her features, that pale skin and silvery locks of hers certainly mismatched everyone else's.  
An eyebrow was raised towards her, arms crossed before his chest. "Look, lady… Get over yourself. It's not like I'm staring at _you_ in particular." He defended, not really with intention to sound mean but it certainly didn't get across very well.  
The belle's eyes widened in surprise, a little offended with his notion and the tone of his voice despite trying to hide it with her distant façade. It was as if he's making her look like an egotistical person just because he asked him to stop.  
"Excuse me?"  
"What? You're not _that_ pretty to be stared at, either." Alfred said stupidly, desperate to defend himself from being caught in the act of being fascinated by her.  
"W-what?! I-"  
"Pft. Love at first sight my ass." He babbled too defensively, leaving the girl dumbfounded. "It's not like anyone would even like you and your sour attitu-"  
A slap across his cheek made him stop. Her eyes were brimming with anger, trembling hands pinned on her side.  
"GET OUT!" Shrill voice echoed in the wide room, making every head turn towards their direction. Some are surprised, some are pissed. A woman wearing a blank expression then approached the two – her brown eyes are cold and frigid which could even rival the girl's. Her façade remained the same until Alfred and his new 'friend' stopped to look at her. On the corner of the lad's eyes, he noticed her lilac eyes glisten in wary for a quick second only to be hid by her composed look. Maybe it was just his eyes playing tricks on him, maybe not.  
"Natalya. What are you doing?" The older woman asked, crossing her arms. Figure expressing her full authority over her and the entire library; from the ceiling to the floor. Oh. So they did run into trouble afterall.  
"I-it wasn't me."  
"It was _your_ voice." She pressed. The more seconds passed, the more Alfred felt uncomfortable under her demanding presence. And he didn't like it a little bit.  
"But—"  
"You of all people should know the rules of the library."  
"_Dy, _I do. But—"  
"Is he your friend?"  
Amidst of all her explanations, Natalya stopped and stared at her with wild eyes. "W-what?"  
"I asked If he was your friend." She nodded at Alfred, who chuckled nervously under the inspection.  
"N—"  
"Y-yes! I sure am!" The boy cheered, wrapping an arm around the appalled girl. "Best of friends. Definitely!"  
"What?!" Natalya shrieked, pushing him off her but this only made Alfred pull her closer. "He is not!"  
The older female assessed the situation before her for a while, before heaving a sigh out of sheer frustration.  
"Leave me alone!"  
"No can do."  
"I will sue you! Ugh!" Her petite frame continued to persistently escape his hold, but finding it impossible. Anger at the boy coiling within her; wishing to kill him then and there.  
"What? It's a free country!" Alfred laughed obnoxiously, earning another "shhh" from the readers making him apologize sheepishly – a hand rubbing the back of his neck.  
"Both of you need to get out." A stern voice called out, making the two of them look at the older with unusual docile expression.  
"But—"  
"Natalya. Get out." Her rigorous voice demanded. "I can't have you playing along here of all places. I'm dismissing you early."  
"But Mrs. Smith he's not my friend—"  
"I said go." She repeats once more through gritted teeth that no one could appeal. Feeling helpless, Natalya bit her tongue and proceeded to her desk wordlessly. Alfred followed close behind with an intrigued look, studying each and every movements of the dame.  
She picked up her bag and stormed out of the building. With knitted brows, the blonde lad pursued behind her every footstep like a lost puppy. His hands tucked in his pocket as they abandoned the confines of the library.

The clicks of her mary janes were heard as she stomped her way down the street, rudely shoving anyone who went against her path. A prying eyebrow was raised, watching her incredulously. Alfred easily trailed behind her no matter how quick her pacing may be, not daring to start a conversation. All of her actions are already enough to speak for themselves, and he found himself submerged in them.  
Something about her… simply looks so familiar. Being lost within the confines of his mind, struggling to find why he found her so… enchanting. As if he had met her before, like they were friends.  
Maybe it was those sort of reincarnation thing?  
_Pft. It couldn't be._  
There has to be some reason why he felt so appealed to the girl.  
"Will you stop following me?!"  
Alfred blinked, meeting the furious gaze of the belle.  
"First, I was only doing my job and yet you, being such an egotistical jerk, completely offended and violated me. Second, I am not your friend! Third, I was kicked out because of you! What the hell is your problem?!" She screamed, fury radiating from her very gaze.  
"Well... uh. I need a proof that the Canadians didn't really participate in the World War II." The lad responded coolly. "You see, I don't really go to libraries and stuff. The internet is quite unreliable, and books are much believable to use as proof so that my brother wi—"  
"How stupid can you get? Ofcourse they were involved!"  
"Really?" His eyes widened in disbelief. "No, no… I can't believe you. I need proof."  
"I'm a librarian, not a library. Leave. Me. Alone." The belle snapped, turning with the balls of her feet and continued to walk away.  
Alfred narrowed his eyes. Oh, no. He wouldn't let her escape that easily. First, he needed to find out why he felt so drawn on her. He needed factual reasons. Reasons that would explain that it is not just him feeling weird, and specially _not_ a coincidence.  
"But I didn't steal you away from that grungy place for no reason." He called out, jogging to keep up with her. "Hi, I'm Alfred." The lad flashed his most stunning grin and held out a hand but she didn't stop walking nor pay any attention towards him. Rather, she even picked up her pace.  
Puffing his cheeks in annoyance, he tried harder.  
"And you are…?"  
"Someone who hates your guts." The girl hissed. Eyes completely set on what's infront of her as she brisk walked.  
"Wait… I think I remember…" He mused, recalling the conversation earlier with the older woman. "Was it Nat… Natalie?"  
No response.  
"No? I didn't think so, too. Uh… Natasha?"  
Still, no answer.  
"Nat? Won't you tell me your name?" The boy asked with a sheepish grin. Which was, once again, left neglected.  
He heaved a sigh, yet continued with her pace of walking effortlessly.  
The dame's solid barrier was tough. Gaze locked on what was before her, never wavering. Judging on her attitude, Alfred simply couldn't deny that she's one tough cookie. It was quite impressive; having an angelic beauty with a potent head. But then again, her sour tendencies and irritable mood is somewhat a let down. Studying her intently, the lad belatedly realized her growing fascination for the strange girl.

"Do you even smile?"  
He asked out of the blue, which made her stop on her heels and fall silent. She pursed her lips, looking down at the ground as if contemplating whether to talk to him or not before she finally turned to meet his gaze.  
"I don't. If that answers your question, then leave already."  
"That's sad…" He mutters, pouting.  
"As you can see, I really don't care."  
"I bet you'd look nice with it."  
"Look." She took a deep breath, locking her gaze at sheepish sky blue ones. "I'm not going to listen to freaks like you who ruin others' lives just because they have nothing to do, alright?"  
Nothing but a chuckle escaped his lips, hands stuffed inside his pockets as he flashed a wolf-grin. "Am I really ruining your life?" He asked, determined not to leave her alone until he figured out how she felt so strange and familiar. She was a mystery he simply couldn't leave unsolved.  
"Based on the last fifteen minutes you've been following me? I'd say yes."  
"That's mean." Alfred laughed, tilting his head to one side. "You can't judge a person depending with your first fifteen minutes with them."

It was only light talking. Mindless and easy. And yet…

"Actually, I can." Determined purple eyes bore on blue ones. Cold and hard like metal steel that reflected her tenacy. "You are a person who will ruin my life every second passing. Get out of my face now before I would have to kill you."  
Cerulean orbs sparkled in wonder. To him, she was nothing more than an adorable and a really sullen kitten trying to push him away. And it only pleased him more. "Aww shucks. Well, if I would judge you for the last minute, then you're nothing more than a sourpuss with a pretty face. Which is a waste." He sighed, mocking her.  
"If only you could smile just a tiny bit-" A hand reached out to poke her cheek playfully, only to be rivaled by smaller ones; twisting them in ways that would break human bones if only Alfred isn't stronger than her.  
"Don't fucking touch me." She hissed, glaring at the man.  
"I didn't even touch you. You touched me." He retorts, clasping her smaller hand and locking it with his as if they're holding hands.

Aggravating. He was aggravating. Well, if there are other words that would explain how annoying he was to her, then she would use it. A lot of people have already fallen on her hate-list, but it seems like the lad is earning the throne at the moment. He was in his prime, effortlessly vexing the hell out of her like it was his sole reason to be born in this world.

"Haha! Look! We're holding hands!" Alfred joked cheekily, securing her hand in his.  
"Let go of me!"  
"No can do."  
"Why the hell not?!"  
"Hmm…? Not until I figured everything out." The lad answered cheekily, turning to walk down the aisle whilst towing the girl behind.  
Not really sure what he was talking about, Natalya tugged her hand from his hold but finding his grasp unbreakable. "I told you! The Canadians joined the World War! Stop being stupid and just listen!" She screamed, earning them a couple or more heads turned to look at them. Still, he didn't pay any attention as he strolled straight pass anyone.  
"That's not what I was trying to figure out…" He called out, looking around the corners of the busy street. "But no thanks, though. I can't believe just anything a sullen girl like you would say!" His laugh was loud and obnoxious. Something that ticked her even more, If it was even possible.  
"Ugh! Let go!" Her other hand clawed his grip, digging sharp nails down his skin. But Alfred remained undeterred. Despite her attempts to break free, he continued to tow her away. He wanted to find out more about her. To discover her. So that he could finally get rid of this charmed feeling he had to the belle. As simple as that. An answer to dismiss every wonder he had for the girl. Once everything would be clear, then he could easily move on and leave her alone with her life as he would deal with his.

But Natalya was potent. Little did he notice a retractable knife is already positioned on his side; poised to kill with her deadly gaze.  
"Let go of me. Now." The platinum blonde demanded, pressing her authorities. "I will kill you. I'm not kidding."  
Alfred's eyes widened at the scene. She was actually carrying a knife with her all along. Why? He did not know. As much as it terrified him to know such, a little part of him was even more intrigued with the belle's background. They were little sparks of curiosity that would burst into flames if left unattended. And he wasn't even ready for this kind of fire.

Heaving a sigh, he abruptly let go of her and raised his hands up in surrender. Bedazzled eyes locked with intense ones for a bit while both tried to enter the other's mind and way of thinking. Only resulting with nothing.  
He was strong. And very stupid. But why he was so intent to follow her and why he caused all of these misfortunes for today certainly bothered her. Unless he already has a plan beforehand they even met, which is unlikely. Natalya never socialized with anyone outside her family. Well, except a couple of childhood friends but they didn't really have a flourishing relationship. More like she was only stuck with them just because she had no choice. Other than that, the man standing before her now had no reason to stalk her or bother her. She had nothing to offer.

And yet, she held all the answers he wanted. All the answers that could finish this weird curiosity resulting to such mess. If only he could know her, then it would be over as soon as it sparked.

But no.

The longer he spends time with her, the more eccentric she becomes which captivated him more. What seems like a single question he was meaning to ask pilled up into molehills only she alone could answer.  
It was an irritating feeling; him being clueless. As much as possible, he wanted to know everything. He wanted to know the reasons behind each moments, how every actions would lead into different situations. Unfortunately for him, he found a deadlock. He found her.

"I'm hoping you would tell me why you're walking around the streets of this city with a knife in hand…" Alfred watched her abjure the blade, making him sigh heavily in relief. She pulled up her skirt, slipping it down its sheath wrapped around her thigh nonchalantly. Cheeks were dusted in red as he tried hard to swallow with his dry throat; unable to look away from her milky white legs.  
"Ahem."  
And that was enough of a signal for him to stop daydreaming whatever that flashed through his mind. The frills of her skirt falling back to place, covering up to her knees.  
"Sorry." A sheepish look flashed his face, scratching the back of his head. "So, will you tell me?" He pressed once again after recovering from the little show.  
"No."  
"Okay. Let me guess… You're a serial killer?"  
"No."  
A chuckle escaped the boy's lips. As if he would believe a petite girl like her could be a serial killer. Even if she is, his instincts was still strong on insisting Natalya could never be. She began past him once again, insistent on evading the annoying lad but he only followed in return like a lost puppy.  
"Hmm… You're an assassin?!" He beamed, excitement overflowing through his veins. Wide, blue eyes sparkling in hope.  
"No."  
"Ah. Too bad… It would've been sooo cool!" The male of the blondes let out a wistful sigh. "W-wait— Don't tell me! Are you a terrorist?!" He mused light-heartedly. A smile consistent on his frame despite the growing irritation over the belle.  
"No."  
"But it makes sense! I mean, you don't look like you're from around here. I don't think I have seen someone with such deep set of purple eyes… and you have an accent! It all sums up together!"  
"I am not a terrorist!" The belle, once again, stopped on her tracks to face him with a raged look. His eyes widened at her sudden anger. "Just because I look different doesn't mean you could jump into conclusions! You idiot! This is the final time – stop following me!"  
Her shaky voice was finally heard. Somehow, he knew he went out of line. And maybe it was just his eyes playing tricks on him, that he noticed a little moisture on the corners of her eyes as if she's crying. This ought to stop the American from questioning further. It was just a mischievous interrogation. It's not like he would believe her if she was a terrorist. Alfred knew some people would carry around a knife only for their own protection, but he had no idea what damage his questions brought her emotionally.  
With her tiny frame still shaking in anger, Natalya abruptly turned and ran out of sight. All too quick for the still-dazed boy to follow.

The reason Alfred was so persistent is to question the strange girl and why he felt like he has met her before. He would just have to ask who she really was, where she lives. Maybe she was another one of those faces he wouldn't pay attention to among the crowd; like another girl in the McDonalds he bumped into but was far too occupied with food to notice. Or maybe she's the girl from the coffee shop the other day he failed to notice. Probably someone who went to the same university as him.

There were so many possibilities that sparked his attention. A precious memory of her angelic face that bothered him the most.

The arrogant boy thought it was so easy. Like something he could solve within the day of observing her. The quicker he finds out, the better.

But all his expectations backfired.

Over the last thirty minutes he was with her, his questions only stacked up.

Natalya was a puzzle he couldn't easily solve.

* * *

**A/N**: Hello!

Thank you for checking out one of my works, and boy, are you in for a ride. This is going to be a long train ride that I would hopefully finish. Well, on this section I would like to acknowledge SA18LockDragon for taking this story under her beta sections! Almakazam too for the wonderful ideas. These people are amazing. You might want to check out some of their stories some times. A couple of the best writers I know.

Anyway, I'm glad you stuck through my first chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it. There might be a lot of twists and turns eventually so you might want to keep your seatbelts on. Please do read and review for whatever kind of opinion you have because you are entitled to it, and it would help me develop the story. Let's help each other out, yes? Thanks again! See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Falling Slowly**

**Genre: Romance**

**Pairing: America x Belarus (AmeBel)**

**Rating: R-13 for profanities**

**Date Published: April 20, 2014**

* * *

"Pay up."  
"But duuuuuude!"  
"No. Pay up. We had a deal, and I told you; the Canadians participated in the World War II. Now you got to pay."  
"That's not even the case here! I met a girl—"  
"Alfred, how many girls have you already met that sparked your curiosity before?"  
"… I don't know."  
"And how could you say she differs from those 'interesting' girls?"  
There was no following answer. Alfred stared at the screen while his brother began to shoot more enemies.  
"Exactly. That's what I thought." Matthew chuckled smugly, blowing up the head of an unsuspecting opponent.  
"But, come on, man! Listen to me for a second! I think I've seen her before – I just can't remember when, or how."  
"You like h—BEHIND YOU!"  
Alfred quickly snapped the head of the foe attempting to kill his character. A surging loud roar of their machine guns and pistol followed the silence next.  
"Pft. Nah. She's definitely not my type but—" Shoot, shoot. "I have to know why she looks so familiar. I just can't shake it off, you know. Like maybe a long lost relative or something. I don't know."  
"You do know our dads even _hated_ each other before they got married…"  
"Wait—you listen to their love story now?!" Alfred snickered, eyes still glued on the screen.  
"No. Papa Francis won't stop telling me, okay? It grows on you."  
"Whatever, dude. But I'm serious. I think you should see her yourself. Who knows? Maybe we had a Russian cousin or something. There's just a sense of familiarity I can't explain."  
"You just like her." The younger of the twins mocked, rolling his eyes.  
"No, I do—"  
Alfred was cut by what followed next; a long range sniper head shot him, making his character drop dead on the ground.  
"Aaaah! Shiiiit!"  
Matthew chuckled, pausing the game and turning to see his brother. "You were saying?"  
"I. Don't. Like. Her. She's too mean and such a sourpuss."  
"_Right_." He snorts in sarcasm that the older simply missed.  
"She's really annoying, too. Kinda gets on my nerves sometimes but I annoy her more, I think."  
"If you annoy her just as much, or even more, then you should just let it go."  
"I can't just shake it off, man. I'm in the mood for James Bond. Besides, I could still have fun pissing the shit out of some commie." This was followed by a laugh in contempt, his mind already planning to see her again soon. Yes, he may have pissed the hell out of her, but all in all he did have fun.  
"That's mean, man."  
"What? She's a commie."  
"She's _Russian_, not a _commie_."  
"And the difference is…?"  
Matthew sighed, not sure if his brother is just a jerk or really stupid. He knows well on how stubborn his twin is, meaning all his attempts to stop him would all be in vain.  
"Restart the game, dude!"

"Do you see her?"  
"I-I'm not sure." Matthew peered through the shelves once more to look at the dame behind the counter, reading a book.  
"The one with silver-ish hair!" Alfred whispered, wanting to take his turn on the little peep hole his brother is occupying.  
"O-oh! Yes, I see her… She's pretty." He notes, appreciating the belle's beauty. Her face completely drowned in concentrated on the book she's reading.  
"Yes, but don't let that fool you. She's a bitch."  
"Hmm… Maybe you're just really annoying. If I were a girl I would probably run away from you, too." The younger mumbled, tearing his eyes from the hole and looking at his brother. "It's true." He grinned sheepishly.  
"Haha. Very funny… Let me see—" He then pushed him from the slot and sought the girl. She looked so… at peace. As if the pissed off girl she met and this one before him now is completely different. This sight somehow even made him feel the tiniest bit of guilt.  
Maybe he really did unleash the sleeping dragon the last day they met.

The dame's blank face was completely serene… and maybe even a little kind. There was a glint on her eyes that Alfred would muse whenever she would flip the pages of the book, like there was a kind of excitement not everyone could notice. Her each and every movement was calculated by the lad. The way her slim, pale fingers would turn the leaves of the book and even how her sharp, concentrated eyes would narrow the slightest whenever she would find something interesting.  
All actions were completely normal and natural for a typical female girl, but something within the guts of his guts told him there's something… _wrong_.  
"She's still evil." Alfred finally concluded, tearing his assessing gaze at the unconscious belle.  
"Okay." Matthew sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I don't think she's very familiar to me as much as she is to you. And I also don't think you would appreciate some _commie_ being our second or third or even fourth cousin."  
Before he was even finished talking, Alfred returned his eyes in the hole to study the lass some more.  
"Yeah… Well... I think you should still apologize to her either way…" He reminds. Yet as per usual, was left unheard once again. "Okay, Alfred. Since you're too busy being a creep, I think I'm just going to leave n—"  
"Wait—!" Alfred's head snapped up and grabbed his shoulder just before he was about to get out of reach.  
"_Shhhh!_" Some of the readers chided, glowering at the lad.  
"Sorry…" He whispered sheepishly, pulling Matthew by his collar across the aisle of the shelves to the other end. "Listen… I have a plan." His bright blue eyes sparkled, snapping his head side to side to check for anyone possibly listening. And when the place was deemed clear, he began to whisper. "And I need your help."  
At this, Matthew simply rolled his eyes. Growing up with an obnoxious twin brother isn't really relatively easy, and he has learned the hard way that each and every plans of Alfred Jones would backfire.

When they were in high school, Alfred once had this sweeping project to stealthily creep in girl's locker room. His blue prints seemed so flawless and smooth, complemented by his reasonable leadership skills that convinced him like nothing could go wrong. On this plan, Matthew was dragged by his brother - saying that he needed his skills to achieve success. Coming from Alfred, of course it sounded so natural and persuading.  
Needless to say, he joined his twin. Only to find out later that this has not been a good idea.

"Alfred… As much as I want to help you, you do know I don't want to be anywhere near your plans right?"  
"But this would be easy! You just need to—"  
"You told me that the last time. And it didn't exactly result anywhere near success."  
"Trust me on this." A hand was placed on his shoulder, his blue eyes serious and focused. Here he goes again and his alternate cunning self. "All you have to do is borrow a book and make her record it. Talk to her, too. Be nice and charming."  
"W-wait, wait... Alfred, you do know I'm not exactly the best person to talk to girls…!"  
Well, it's true. While Alfred had all the… 'charms', Matthew isn't actually that confident regarding to talking with anyone. Specially with girls.  
"Nonsense, dude!" He wrapped an arm around him, stealing another glance at the Natalya. "You can do this. I believe in you." The older then picked out a random book from the shelf and shoved it in Matthew's chest. "Borrow a book, talk to her, be nice and charming, and ask her out. Got it?"  
"Wait! Ask her out?!" His eyes widened at his brother, face pale and cold like an ice

"_Shhhhhh!"_ The people from the tables warned.  
The clicks of shoes coming their way followed next, but the girl they were spying upon made no attempts to move. Something worse is heading their way. Someone Alfred has already met... unfortunately.

"Go, dude!" He pushed him out of the aisle then and he ran as quietly as he could out of his vision.

Cold sweat ran down Matthew's forehead as he did what he was told, almost tripping on his way to approach her. The dryness in his throat felt rough, and there was a lump that he tried so hard to push. Worried blue eyes looked back to see his brother, where he hid behind another aisle far from the library's old directress. There was a grin painted on his face, encouraging him to go and with a thumb up from the man.  
Glaring at him one last time, he finally turned to see what trouble's bound to meet him next…

"Uhm…" Matthew cleared his throat, fidgeting before the counter where Natalya was posed.  
Intense, purple eyes looked up that would without a doubt send chills down anyone's spine.  
"What are you doing here?!" She hissed automatically, jumping upright from her chair. "I told you not to follow me anymore!" She whispered, leaning across the counter top.  
"Uh… Who?" He asked, blinking at her.  
For a second there, the twins forgot the similarities in between them… Hopefully, she wouldn't think he's Alfred and would spare his life by the end of the day.  
"I-I was just about to borrow this book-!" He defended quickly, waving the book before him. "Uhm… I'm not following you… It's my first time in this library…"  
Sharp, narrowed eyes studied him for a long while, trying to make out of who he is.  
"Aren't you just here a few days ago?" The lass asked, calmer this time.  
"N-no, not really."  
"Oh." Blinking, she then noticed the difference in Matthew's soft voice and from Alfred's loud one. His lighter shade of blonde hair is longer and wavier that fell under his chin. A long, weird curl is stubbornly popping out of his locks, as well.  
If only she would focus more on these tiny details, then he would definitely look like a different person from the infamous Alfred.  
"Okay." Natalya quietly sat down without struggle that surprised the man, concealing her embarrassment that Matthew effectively failed to notice.  
How is she evil, anyway? Alfred is simply being stupid again…

"So… Uh… C-can I borrow this book?" Matthew stuttered nervously, blushing very lightly while he held out the book and placed it on the counter.  
"_Dy._ Your I.D.?" The platinum blonde said sternly, looking up to see wary blue eyes.  
"Oh." He pulled out his wallet and fished his card, thinking of a way to keep talking to her. "Y-your Russian?"  
Natalya flinched at the sudden question, closing her eyes for a second as if relaxing herself before gritting her teeth. "_Da_. And it's none of your business." A pale hand picked up the random book Alfred gave him and studied it. Much to her surprise, the said title of it is quite familiar.  
"O-okay. I'm sorry…"  
"Wait. _Anna Karenina?_" Her interest sparked, an eyebrow raised at him.  
"Huh? Oh! Y-yes…" Matthew nodded vigorously, handing her his I.D. and trying to remember the book that he would have to borrow.  
"This is a Russian work."  
"It is…?" The boy asked in confusion, looking at the book. "I-I mean, of course it is! Yes! L-Leo Tolstoy!" He spat out, taking a quick glance at the book and its author. "I'm a big fan… of his… uh… works."

Meters away from the conversation, Alfred did his best to eavesdrop. But only getting nothing more than inaudible words as the two chattered away. He grit his teeth in terror.  
Why is she not being evil like what she is to him? What the heck? It isn't fair! This way, he could never prove the bitch that she really is to his brother.

"Really?" The amusement on her voice was very well hid as she began typing down his name into the computer and confirming a couple of files before it was good to go.  
"Y-yes, yes. His works are very… uh…" What was he doing, lying for the sake of his brother? Still, there's no way of getting out now, is there?  
"… Russian." He muttered, the only word that he could think of to describe the book to which he couldn't help but mentally smack himself.  
Natalya scoffed, handing him a card including his I.D. and a pen for him to sign. "_Right_. Well, you have three days to borrow the book and returning it a day behind would result to a payment penalty."  
Matthew smiled at her and nodded, signing the card with ease.  
"Here you go."  
Returning the said paper, a heavy stamp was pressed on it before she filled it into one of her drawers and handing him back the novel.  
His thumb then unintentionally rubbed a little but on hers, making him blush beet red. Fortunately, it was something that Natalya failed to notice.  
"O-okay…" He cleared his throat, trying to catch his breath for a while. Did he just… talk to a girl… successfully? "T-thank you." Matthew grinned.  
"Mhmm." She nodded grimly, tuning back to her book.

"Duuuuude! What the hell was _that_?!" Alfred exclaimed with his frantic wild eyes once he followed his brother outside of the building.  
Matthew chuckled, cheeks still dusted with a little bit of pink as he clutched the book. "She's not as bad as you portray, Alfred."  
"Did you cast some kind of a magic spell of something? DID SHE JUST SMILE AT YOU?!"  
"I don't think so…" The ever quiet boy whispered, recalling the earlier episode. "She sort of jeered…"  
"Still!" The older gasped before laughing at what had happened. Sometimes it isn't so hard for his twin to question his sanity. "This is probably the greatest achievement man-kind has ever reached!" Hands clasped the other's shoulder, mind still wrapped around how better Matthew actually talked to a girl this sole time than him. After all, there's always a first time for everything. And Alfred couldn't be more happier for his brother.  
"Well, except for sending a man to the moon…" The noisy lad quickly followed to negate his own statement. "BUT STILL!" He laughed once more, something that made the younger feel uncomfortable under his presence. Slowly, he shrugged Alfred's hands off his shoulder and took a step back. Seemingly without the other's knowledge, being too busy laughing at their little achievement.  
"That was totally awesome!"  
"Uh… Yeah. It kinda was."  
"_Kinda_?!" He mocked his timid brother. "You were practically _talking_ to a girl, and that girl happens to be _that_ bitch!"  
"I try not to take that personally, but yes – I did talk to her. She's not really bad, Alfred. Maybe you were just being a je—"  
"So did you ask her out?" Excitement was very evident on his blue pools, neglecting Matthew as usual. His mind already expecting his brother doing so, and taking quick measurements _if_ she indeed liked him… and more likely have said yes. That would be a win-win on their part, then. Matthew would actually start seeing someone and he could inspect the belle closer. It's going to be a piece of cake.  
"N-no… I can't." The younger whispered sadly, frowning to himself.  
"Oh…" Alfred could feel his enthusiasm deflate, shoulders slouching while he pouts. "Why not?"  
"Why would I?"  
"So you can pick up a girl and I can spy her easier."  
"I just borrowed a book, and I don't want to get into trouble because of you again as much as I want to help you. Although I do find her pretty."  
"Yeah, she's hot. So why won't you ask her out?"  
Matthew shrugged, not really having the guts nor having enough interest to go out with someone so… distant. Unlike guys who would go out in a date with another pretty face, he rather value the chemistry that would mix between him and the other. Ironically, the younger was rather more reasonable than his brother.  
Besides, following Alfred's wishes would send him straight to the pits of Natalya's hell. There's no doubt about it.  
"Well… I… look, Alfred, I'm not going to ask her out. I borrowed a book, that's all. If you want me to ask her so badly then why won't you do it yourself? You obviously want to."  
At this, Alfred couldn't help but to choke at his own saliva. A fist whacked his own chest to recover as he coughed it up, crouching on his knees while Matthew awkwardly patted his shoulder in support. Alfred could be such a drama queen sometimes. Oh, the amount of patience Matthew had to extend.  
"Y-you got to be kidding me, b-bro…" The older choked out once recovered, wiping the sweat off his brows.  
"What?" Matthew asked incredulously.  
"I-I… I don't want to ask her out!"  
"Why not?" He retorts, returning Alfred's own question. "I thought you think she's _hot_?"  
"Pft. Bro, _please_. Ha ha… ha." A hand was fluttered before his face. "Stop joking around."  
"… I wasn't even joking."  
"You have to do me a favor of asking her out, still." The stubborn blonde pressed, neglecting his twin once again. "Anyway! How was it? What happened out there?"

The two began to walk their way, Matthew telling his brother every detail with his encounter with the feared 'evil witch'. Alfred, in return, listened so intently. Even nodding every now and then with his deep concentration and focus. He may tend to deny it like the unsuccessful dork that he is, but Matthew was keen and could clearly see the interest in his brother's eyes as he spoke. His attention to her could only be rivaled when they would talk about how to beat the boss of the game they are currently playing, or when they would talk about the new comic release of his favorite superhero. It was quite obvious, that he was enkindled on her and wanted to know more about the mysterious dame, but was too afraid to accept the truth himself.  
He wondered why, since Alfred really isn't the type who would hesitate on asking a girl out. He already tried to ask, but he would just desperately deny that he has _that_ kind of interest on her so it would result to no use. And it's too early for conclusions—by the lack of clues the younger had, it was as if he's groping for answers in the dark.

It may be too early for answers, but he would definitely sit by and watch how this story would unfold...

Maybe the winds they had this season would lead the sail on a different route. Well, it's going to be a rough cruise.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ _So far so good, yes? Thank you for the reviews, favorites and the follows! They are very much appreciated. Also, a heaps of thanks to SA18LockDragon for the tons of help as per usual. _

_Anyhow, I'm deciding to release chapters every two weeks. Hear me? Which means Chapter Three (which I already finished and it's tucked well in my documents) will be released on May 4th (starwars day! eep!). Then the next will be on 18th, and June 1st, so on and so forth. Thank you very much! Read and review, they are much appreciated! Til' next time~ Happy Easter/420_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Falling Slowly**

**Genre: Romance**

**Pairing: America x Belarus (AmeBel)**

**Rating: R-13 for profanities**

**Date Published: May 4, 2014 (may the 4th be with you)**

* * *

_I swear to God, I didn't mean to fall for her_…

Alfred thought, finding himself in the confines of the library once again with a book in hand – sitting on one of the table while stealing another glance at the girl behind the counter. How long has it been now? Ten weeks? Eleven? Twelve?

It has been a God awful time to see himself inside this dusty old building, stalking a certain belle and wasting time. But the problem is, it didn't exactly feel like his time was wasted when he returns home from the library. The first few days, he would try to talk to her and she would return nothing but a scowl. But then he thought of sneaking food inside the building which was, of course, against the rules but as if that stopped Alfred. He would borrow a book from the counter every day without a fail except for Sundays when the shop was closed. And on those days, he would bring her coffee also without a fail and sometimes whatever he would find that would remind him of her. A lilac flower he just picked up from the sidewalk bushes which complemented her eyes, a blueberry cheesecake to go along with the coffee, a cheap friendship bracelet he would stumble upon in the mall. At first, she was hesitant. But later on she realized that letting him do what he wanted would be the best option she had unless both of them wanted Mrs. Smith to kick them out for the day again. It mostly had something to do with Alfred being a stubborn dork to whatever she wanted him to do.

It soon became a routine for the two of them the last three months. He would come in exactly 5:00 pm sharp, with a coffee at hand and he would return the book he just borrowed yesterday. The cup of coffee was then left accidentally on purpose on Natalya's counter with a little sticky note on the lid saying the most random and the littlest things like _'hello ;) ', 'how are you? ;)', 'enjoy this cup of coffee from yours truly ;)', 'good day ;)', 'lovely weather we're having ;)'._ And other times, when he would actually come up with something quirky whilst lying on bed at night thinking about his day, he would have the courage to write things like; _'I lost my number, can I have yours?', 'My doctor says I'm lacking Vitamin U.', 'I have my library card. Can I check you out? ;)', 'You're kinda, sorta, basically, in my mind.', 'Hello. I'm a thief. I'm here to steal your heart.'_. And Natalya, in return, would try so carefully to hide the coffee from anyone's sight so none of them could get in real trouble.

His blue eyes would be glued on her as she would read them, and she would often scowl at the paper. But that didn't fool Alfred. He knew, no matter how hard it is to see, that there was a smile behind that scowl. And he was a hundred percent sure that the quick twitch on the side of her lips isn't just his eyes playing tricks on him. She was starting to like him.

Through the months he has been visiting her, never did he once had the courage to talk to her after learning that he could never get any other reaction from the lass except another scowl and a death glare. Basically because he really had no idea how to apologize to her about their first encounter, and he didn't exactly know what he has done to offend her. He was just playing around without realizing she was getting hurt. Still, the way she stopped pushing him away after some time only gave him hope that everything between them is already at peace… hopefully.

Natalya looked up from her book to see a pair of blue eyes watching her from across the room again. Almost immediately, he hid behind his literature and acted busy to which she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

His cheeks were dusted in faint red as he grinned ear to ear. Since when has he been so head over heels with this girl? It may only be a little infatuation, but still... From the way that he could remember, he was just trying to figure out why he felt so attached to the belle for no reason but things started to go downhill from there. He studied each and every movements she would make behind the shadows, even the way she flicks her hair and the way her eyes would narrow at her book. The way she would then find him staring at her but would quickly scowl at him in annoyance. Even if she did not smile, an eye-roll from her would be the closest he could get from grinning. And he didn't mind it one bit.

Beaming cheekily, he returned to his book and flipped a page – not really caring what the book is about for he was probably too distracted to even focus. Then again, aren't all the books he borrowed remained unread? A little poem high-lighted in red ink caught the bit of his attention, though. There were a few lines from the poem that was worthy of his concentration.

"_Give me, O God, to sing that thought!  
Give me—give him or her I love, this quenchless faith  
In Thy ensemble. Whatever else withheld, withhold not from us,  
Belief in plan of Thee enclosed in Time and Space;  
Health, peace, salvation universal. _

_Is it a dream?  
Nay, but the lack of it the dream,  
And, failing it, life's lore and wealth a dream,  
And all the world a dream."_

Alfred blinked, trying to process the meaning of it all. He was never really fond of poetry – it was something the authors could just say directly, so why not do so to save some time? And it would also help avoid misunderstandings between the writer and the reader, if they would just start using ordinary words instead of deep, strange ones only to make them look smart. The boy scoffed, about to shrug the poem and bury it in the most back of his mind before he saw the little scribble on the end of the page.

'_Sehnsucht_' The scrawny handwriting says. _'inconsolable longing in the human heart for we know not what.'_

Normally, he would just shake it off. But his brows simply creased in wonder to what the word could mean by _longing we know not of_. It certainly had some deeper meaning to it. Looking up to steal another glance at the librarian he has grown fond off, he was simply reminded of how he could possibly relate to the word. Maybe it wasn't just him who could feel this way? This… weird feeling he tried to dismiss but unable to? Like he could never stop until he could look for _answer_s to this longing…  
His blue eyes tuned back to the poem as he read it once again, deeply immersing himself to the words this time. '_And all of the world… a dream_.'

Now, Alfred has never really been a writer but just when he was about to plunge himself into the deep thought, he noticed a man hanging around the counter for a long while now. It was just another client, borrowing a book. But from the looks of it, he has already been standing there for the past five minutes talking to a not-so-responsive registrar who seems like she's only been keeping her composure so as she would not be rude. The American took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes at the brunet man probably just about a few years older than him depending by the looks of it.

From his table, he could only make out of a few hints from the both of them. The way the man would smirk and lean back at the counter, acting all cool as if he was. How the apple of his eye would nod politely, but never smile, and shake her head out of frustration. He never did stopped talking, even if she dismissed every single word of it. Purple eyes darted up and back to her book, shaking her head once again at the persistent man.  
Alfred followed her gaze, to see the library supervisor only a few aisles away from she is – arranging a set of books in her hands and to the shelves.  
No wonder she hasn't shot the death glare she's been notorious for. It might get her in another trouble.

Hands balled into fists around the book, shifting his weight uncomfortably with his steely blue eyes locked on the man – contemplating whether to come up there and ward him off or not.

Well, that was until he reached out to intertwine his fingers around a strand of the belle's silky platinum blonde hair and _actually_ sniff it while Mrs. Smith wasn't looking. With all her attempts not to draw her knife right then and there, she slapped his hand away with all due respect being in her work place. Wielding her own blade would probably mean losing her job, to start with.

Everything happened in a flash then. Alfred pushing himself from the table and heading to the counter, and grabbing the man's arm. His dark set of eyes were wide with surprise for a second before narrowing them at the American.

"What is your problem?" The man growled, pulling his hand away from the grasp but this only tightened Alfred's hold. His fingers digging through the other's rough skin.  
"No, what is _your_ problem, pretty boy? You can't fucking touch her—"  
"Stop." The Slavic cut him out, a gentle hand peeling his trembling fingers that choked the man's limb. "I am more than capable taking care of my own self."  
"Well I'm sure you are, baby. But let me take care of this ass. We don't want you being kicked out again, do we?" Smirking, he winked playfully to which she couldn't help but to raise a confused brow, wincing at him. "Now, where were we…" He clicked his tongue and tuned his attention back to the brunet. The girl's hand withdrew and returned to the counter top – enough of a signal that she wanted him to dispose of the primitive stranger. "You can't just go touching what isn't yours, man. Hands off my girl."  
"Oh. So this is your boyfriend?!" The man scoffed, looking at Natalya. "This is _it_?!"  
Though the belle was much too preoccupied with Alfred's statements than to actually focus on what he was saying. "Boyfriend?! E-excuse me?" She scoffed, unable to believe what he just said.  
"Hey! What does that mean?" Alfred pouts, offended by the man.  
"No offense, man. But you're kind of a dweeb."  
"No, I'm not! And I suppose you're some hot shot play boy billionaire?!"  
"Not really. But my dad owns the burger joint down the street." He said cockily. And in all honesty, he's not all that hideous either.  
"OhMyGodYouOwnBurgerShack?!"

Natalya's jaw dropped, wanting to say something to cut the sudden friendly chatter between the two but finding no words to equal her own surprise.  
Before she could even recover, the resident evil (as Alfred named her secretly from his one of his favorite games) a.k.a. Mrs. Smith stepped in between the two and ordered them to leave. There were a lot of complaints, especially from Alfred, but they were both powerless from the supervisor anyway.

"Well, then…" She shot the platinum blonde a glare as if to warn her about her 'friends' before going back to the shelves and continuing with her work.  
Blinking, Natalya sat back down on her chair. Still unable to process what just happened a few minutes ago.

Alfred's watch said it's already 6:33, and the street is much busier than it normally is considering the time of the day. The summer sun was just about to settle, and the boy figured to wait for the library to close down considering it closes by seven and see more of the person of his attraction before heading home. Burger shack dude, however, decided to headed out first – much to Alfred's satisfaction. At least he could get all the attention of the belle to himself. That is, if he could.

Less than thirty minutes of waiting and watching the passer by, people finally emerged out of the library one by one until it was left clean. He was leaning next to a light post that stood before the entrance, blue eyes scanning the individuals and hoping for the pretty face he wanted to see to show up. It was about fifteen minutes pass the closing time, and it would soon get dark but he was patient. Soon enough, the notorious Resident Evil pushed the glass door opened, followed by the platinum blonde and a female brunet who probably worked at the library as well. Not that the other two even mattered, for the lad's eyes were solely reserved for the belle.  
She was given the key, and bid them goodbye. The brunet thanked her and kissed her cheek before running off in a hurry, while Mrs. Smith stalked off in the other direction – leaving the Slavic to close down the shop herself.

Blinking, Alfred shifted on his feet – a little worried if he should approach her or not but eventually figuring that waiting half an hour for his chance and wasting it would be pretty foolish, even though he was already told by everyone that he's plenty stupid. Who cares, anyway? Certainly _not_ Alfred F. Jones.  
Running his hand over his hair, he made sure everything was perfectly in place. Everything, except the stubborn little cowlick that stuck out most of the time ever since he could remember. No more use of stressing over it now. He held his palm before his mouth next and breathed out through the mouth to check his breath… so far so good. Dusting off his button down shirt and the khaki pants, he finally took a deep breath to gather courage and walked up to the flight of stairs.

"Hi." A grin bloomed on his face, flashing that 500 watt smile that he had while he stood next to her.  
"… you're still here?" The girl didn't even feel the need to turn around to guess who it is; for she was far too busy locking the door.  
It would be a lie to say that he didn't feel nervous in any way. Biting his bottom lip, the American stuffed his sweaty palms in his pocket. Hopefully, he wouldn't be much of a nerd to panic and offend him like he did the last time.  
"Uhm… Yes?"  
"Oh."  
He could imagine her roll her purple eyes despite of not even looking at him. Something he didn't really want to think about due to the fact that he found it annoying, but still.  
"Yeah…"

The clinks of the metal keys were the only ones heard throughout the awkward silence as she lugged it in her shoulder bag. Without a word, the girl turned around and stalked down to the stairs not even batting an eyelash at the ever observing lad. Heaving an exasperated sigh, he followed the harsh natured belle down the sidewalk.  
"Uh… Hey. Do you want to get some coffee?" Alfred asked, easily catching up to her.  
Her lips twitched the very slightest motion, probably fighting a smile. This did not go unnoticed by the lad, unfortunately. "Haven't you given me enough coffee everyday even though it's 5 pm and drinks aren't allowed in the library?"  
"Yes, but do you… want one, like, now? With me?"  
This time, she didn't hesitate to chuckle. Although it sounded a bit harsh and degrading, the boy certainly didn't mind. To him, it's still a laugh.  
"I don't… drink coffee." She winced, stopping on her tracks to have a proper look at him.  
Flummoxed, Alfred couldn't help not to blink at her in surprise. "You don't… you don't drink coffee?"  
"No."  
"So… I've been giving you coffee and you don't drink them?"  
"I don't, but Mrs. Smith would prefer Starbucks rather than McCafe." Her lips were pursed, fighting a smile.  
"Uh… Let's get this clear. I've been leaving you a cup of coffee every day for the past three months and you never drink coffee?"  
"_Dy_."  
Flabbergasted, he ran his fingers through his sandy blonde mane. "Why didn't you tell me?!"  
"You never asked!"  
He was about to go on and on about wasting precious money with something she didn't even appreciate, but was cut short when the belle placed a delicate hand over her lips. The corners of her eyes crinkling the slightest bit and her cheeks faintly dusted with the color of pink. It was completely adorable and astonishing and most likely the best thing mankind has ever discovered. Screw the moon. Screw the black hole. Screw the infinite universe. Because Alfred Jones has finally seen everything there has to see in this damned world. Well, except the fact that she's hiding behind her livid hand but still…  
"Okay…" He laughed, which only made the Slavic blush and roll her eyes at him. "So, you've been giving the coffee to Medusa?"  
"Medusa…?!" She exclaimed, before shrugging it off. No one liked Mrs. Smith anyway. "Actually, yes. I have been doing that."  
Alfred groaned, throwing his head behind and rubbing his temples. Now, both hands were covering her sweet lips. The sliver of thought that this girl is a little bit of a sadist did occur to him. Is she really enjoying seeing him stressed?  
"God…!" He hissed, pulling his blonde locks.  
Natalya cleared her throat and returned her hands to her side to gain back composure, raising an eyebrow at the boy.  
"She likes the letters, though."  
"WHAT?"  
"The notes you attached to it."  
Right, the _notes_… shit.  
"I am so, _so_ screwed. I AM HITTING ON A 50 YEAR OLD WITCH!"  
"Yes, you are." The Slavic nodded in agreement, completely amused with the situation.  
Blue eyes were narrowed at her in suspicion, scoffing. She really was a sadist. Great. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"  
"Yes, I am." She nodded again without hesitation, which would only annoy Alfred if it wasn't for him finding her reactions utterly adorable.  
He sighed in frustration, filling the air with silence for a while as he tried to process every information now. For the past three months, he's been giving Mrs. Smith those coffees and notes and presents and flowers. Great. Just great.  
"Are you sure it's me you want to go out with and not her?"  
Alfred groaned louder, rolling his eyes at her. "You're not helping!"  
"Well, it wasn't my fault. You leave them on the counter. I didn't know who they are for so I gave them to Mrs. Smith." Natalya states bluntly, her angelic face completely expressionless.  
"Ugh! I think I'm going to cry. My life is ruined. I am _not_ asking out someone who's the same age as my grandmother out for a date!"  
Purple eyes watched him silently for a while, not in any way feeling bad or guilty. Her gaze that Alfred silently deemed as _soulless_. She really is a cold, harsh and a heartless person.

And Alfred has grown to like it.

"Okay, then…" Her soft voice hummed after a long silence between them filled with nothing but the chattering of the people and the growls of the street cars. "I'll go now…"  
Still at the state of shock, he watched her walk away with his torn and degraded heart. So much for being smooth. But he couldn't let her go just yet. Not after all his efforts to this chance to talk to her. Acting purely on instincts, he called out, "Wait!"  
No, she didn't stop. The girl kept walking down the sidewalk. Streetlights showering down her through the darkness of the night.  
"Wait—hey!" His legs began to move. "Wait—"  
Finally, she stopped on her tracks and turned around to see the American jogging towards her.  
"What?" An elegant eyebrow was cocked, shooting her familiar glare at the boy.  
"You owe me."  
"Owe you what?"  
"For ruining my life."  
"No, I didn't ruin your life." She huffed. "You ruined it yourself."  
"I did not. You know those letters and those coffee were for you but you gave them away. You could've just at least told me you didn't want them."  
"But you didn't ask." She retorts, raising her chin.  
Alfred sighed, stuffing his hands in his pocket. "Okay. Uh… How about not-coffee?"  
"Not… what?"  
"I—uh.." He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to disregard the scowl painted on her face and muster courage. "Do you not – not want to go out for not coffee?"  
"… what?"  
"Uhm… do you not want to go out for not-not coffee?" For the past 22 years, Alfred Jones has known how to speak English. And yet, here comes the time where his mind would simply stop picking up vocabulary and lexicon in front of a girl who's not even a natural born English speaker.  
Natalya blinked, perplexed with his choice of words. And he knew well that he didn't make any sense, so he tried again.  
"Shit… Uh- Do you want to go out for _not_ coffee?" He breathed out, each word well thought in hopes that she would understand and say yes.  
"_Not_ coffee?" She muttered, pursing her lips in thinking.  
"Yes. _Not_ coffee."  
Seeming as if his question has finally come across well, a cold sweat has run down his forehead in nervousness. They could go out for a dinner, or a walk in the park… Anything that would not encounter coffee.  
Clicking her tongue, she finally looked at Alfred with those haunting indigo orbs.

"Okay."

Alfred F. Jones had all the reason to think that he was dreaming that day. And here is his list;  
1.) He met the son of the owner of Burger Shack.  
2.) He was talking to her.  
3.) It has been a decent talk without fighting.  
4.) She actually blushed and smiled! (even though she fought it and she's been hiding it.)  
5.) She said, quote-unquote 'okay'.  
6.) SHE SAID YES.  
7.) YES!

"Okay? Okay, as in, yes – okay, or no – okay?" He stammered out once his brain began responding. "Wait, is this even real?"  
Natalya's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Does okay have any other meaning aside yes…?" She muttered uncertainly.  
"Uh… No. I mean, yes. Wait – no. But… Wait, what?"  
"I said okay as in yes." Her words were slowly and carefully spoken, as if wanting the whole idea of the single word 'okay' to sink in.  
"A-are you serious?" He gasped, eyes widened.  
"Why? Don't you want to?"  
"I-I do… but it has been a weird day. And I don't really think it's true or something. N-not that I don't want it to be true! It's just that maybe it's all a dream even though dating Mrs. Smith is a nightmare, but not you. Definitely not yo—"  
"Stop!" Natalya shrieked. "Shut up. Okay. Take a deep breath… inhale, exhale." Alfred followed her directions rather obediently, clearing his mind as he did so. "I said yes. We will go out as long as it's not coffee. Got it, birdbrain?"  
"Y-yes, ma'am." He stood up straight and gave her a salute to which she only rolled her eyes and turned around to leave.

"She said 'okay'." The boy muttered, slapping his cheek again and again to make sure it wasn't another daydream of his.

Falling for her certainly wasn't his intention, but it was the sweetest accident he could ever suffer.

* * *

_Author's note: Hi, guys! How have you been? Chapter three, as promised :D Hmm... Oh, dear. I did say about the two weeks update but I've been having writer's block lately and I'm not sure if I can keep it up. All I do is stare at my laptop until nothing comes out. But I still have a time to try, so please bear with me. I will really try my best to keep up with the schedule. _

_Hmm. As you've noticed, this chapter has been fast forwarded three months later. I apologize if you expected more of the library fluffs but they would only be fillers if I keep writing about them. Now, the real fun's about to begin after a couple of chapters or more._

_Thank you for tuning with my story! And I can't believe I'm asking this but do review - as well as to feel free to drop your suggestions, I /might/ do them a request!  
As per usual, thank you for my dear friend __SA18LockDragon for the help and beta-reading. Ciao~ _


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Falling Slowly**

**Genre: Romance**

**Pairing: America x Belarus (AmeBel)**

**Rating: R-13 for profanities**

**Date Published: May 24, 2014**

* * *

It was Sunday. Alfred F. Jones jumped from his bed excitedly and opened the small window of his apartment rather dramatically for the young lad.

"_The window is open, so's that door__  
__I didn't know they did that anymore__…"_

He began singing gleefully. A bright, warm smile painted on his face as he gazed down at the earth about thirty feet below from his apartment. On the ground, people were having their morning stroll and doing errands for the day. Not that he cared, for he was too busy riding his very own cloud nine to focus on their petty problems. The lad was far too into his euphoric state to notice the reality he was living right now. It was as if a blue, Disney bird would join him in his little concert anytime. Truth to be told, he really did expect a bird to perch on his shoulder as he belted the chorus of the song;

"_For the first time in forever__  
__There'll be magic, there'll be fun__  
__For the first time in forever__  
__I could be noticed by someone__ "_

He ran through the small space of his dusty apartment, grabbing a broom and using it as an air guitar as he jumped on his couch in the living room.

"_And I know it's totally crazy__  
__To dream I'd find romaaaance__"_

Getting off the sofa after belching the note, the blonde then proceeded to the kitchen counter and pulled out a bowl from the drawer, still singing the next lines with the mental instrumental playing only in the mind of a specific twenty three year old man who was head over heels with a certain Russian librarian in the middle of Chicago, Illinois with about 2 million or more residents.

"_But for the first time in foreveeeeer__  
__At least I've got a chance__ "_

Heaving a sigh of content, Alfred poured the rest of his cereal and milk to call as his breakfast. It was only 8 am in the morning, too early for his taste especially on Sundays. But today was important. May 6th was the most significant of all Sundays he has ever undergone. Each and every calendar he owned has been marked red, encircling the said date.  
This was it! After three months of _observing_(definitely _not_ stalking), he has finally gotten the chance to take Natalya out for a date. So it seems that patience does bear fruit. And how sweet his reward could be this time.

A goofy grin was constant on his face until he finished his cereal. The whole idea of it is simply too good to be true. It has been days since she's said yes, but the mere idea of it automatically tingles his mind ever so often. It's like, the simple thought of her would send little sparks of electricity that would thrill his state of elation in a matter of nanoseconds. She was a drug without even knowing. And he was completely intoxicated without even realizing.

With a blue Captain America shirt, khaki pants, a small courier bag and black chucks, Alfred Jones was ready to go and meet his date under the summer sun.

It's around 9 am, and the streets are beginning to crowd. But that is nowhere near the lad's concerns. The day was far too perfect to deal with nonsense, and he was too stubborn to let anyone ruin it.  
His own smile rivaled the warmth of the sun as he heaved through the mass – skipping lightly on his toes while he hummed to the various tracks of Disney songs. What a good time to be alive.

The good smell of morning pastries wafted through the air which caused him to take a deep, appreciative breath. The smell of apple pie did not fail to stop him on his tracks and make his mouth water.  
Apple pie – definitely one of his most favorite foods aside the cheeseburgers, sodas, fries and fast food joints related grubs. But then again, the lad had an appetite for almost everything. It was something that troubled his parents back when he was a kid, his cravings. Often times he could eat anytime and anywhere as long as there's still food in sight which usually would stretch their house budget, but what else can they do? Food was one of his passions, even though not really having the taste buds belonging to a gourmet. It was where he found his happiness, and being the laid back man that he normally is, he followed the yellow road of glee and satisfaction without hesitation. After all, if you're happy, can anything or anyone else matter?  
As his old life mantra says; _'I am someone who makes me happy_.'

He glanced at his watch; 9:32 am. It seems like enough time to arrive later at 10 am sharp, and the park where they would meet up was just down a couple more blocks. Pursing his lips, the blonde decided to follow his heart and buy a couple slices of pies for a take-out as his snack while waiting.

Next to the bakery stood a flower shop – which _also_ distracted Alfred from his path. They were flowers, for crying out loud. How can one forget to bring flowers on a date? Smacking his head, he heaved a sigh and purchased the best ones that appealed to him most; and that happens to be a set of purple daisies which best complimented her set of purple eyes he adored so dearly.

He finished with the bouquet of daisies, and slices of pie to nimble upon while he would wait. So far, so good. Smiling smugly to his own amusement and privately praising his own preparation, the American finally headed to the park not to be distracted by any more shops on the way.

Though not being the best in concentrating his attention to one thing, he fortunately managed to arrive before 10 at the park where they allegedly agreed to meet the dame. Nesting on one of the benches, he began to wolf down on his pies while he waited…

Kids are running around, while couples are comfortably cuddling on the green grassy fields. Everyone simply enjoyed their Sunday morning with their families and friends, taking a break from their long, busy week. It seems like a real treat, to catch up and simply relax under the warm spring sun that kissed their tanned skins.

But a lad was here for a different reason. Bright, blue eyes scanned the park, fidgeting every minute on his seat as he patiently waited for his company. Alfred took a deep breath, trying to compose himself and shake off the nervousness.  
What made him act this way? He would never know.  
All he was aware of is that she was the sole person who could make him nervous and uncomfortable, but in a strange, good way. Maybe it was because she was different than all the girls he's met before…

The blonde rolled his eyes at the thought. Talk about some sappy bullshit. While he was never a huge fan of romance, part of him just hoped that he could still figure her out as soon as the day would end. It would at least make everything easier for him, not to make it seem like a guessing game.  
And of course, he still held on to that feeling of strange attachment towards the lass up until now, even if he was beginning to feel something _more_ towards her than mere curiosity.

He liked her. Obviously.

Not only because he find her peculiar, interesting and different, but also because there is an inexplicable charm towards her hostility that he had fun triggering. And just like tasting a sweet, summer candy, he wanted to explore more about its surprise center. She was a mystery he was itching to solve no matter what.

And the last time he felt this drawn to a girl was when he was…

Alfred shook his head. It was a hazy picture, and he could not well perceive it from the bunkers of his childhood memory but he knew it was there. How old was he then? Three? Four? Maybe it was a dream, or maybe it truly happened… unfortunately, he was far too young to remember a clear view of it. It seems like some distant, blurred memory for him now being fogged up in the back of his mind. And certainly his short term memory span never helped. But the feeling was real. He never needed a clear vision of it to feel that it was real.

Heaving a sigh, he pulled out his trusty camera from his messenger bag.

Memories.

They truly are something to be valued. The smiles, the tears, the laughter and the pain. All the tears may dry and the smiles may fade, but the memories were something that could not be easily forgotten. It makes a person who he is, it defines him. He's a product of all these memories.

And it's because of this mere reason why Alfred absolutely loved taking photos. The little camera on his hand captures each and every one of them. It has the sheer power to take him back to the past, like some kind of a window to time travel figuratively. It may not help him remember the days, but it would paint a clear setting to visualize and feel the specific moment once again – no matter how good or how bad they are.

With a smile, he pulled the camera to his eye and began to search for a good angle to capture the laughter of the children playing on the grass.

One day, these kids would not even remember what they were laughing about in the first place. Or maybe they would not even recall who they were playing with. But with a single click of his camera, it would serve as a reminder for them to look back and smile. A few years from now, maybe no one would remember it. This day filled with laughter would serve as another one of those 364 days of the year. So difficult to create, yet so easy to forget.  
But his camera has all the power to preserve it, even after generations and generations.

This is what Alfred loved most about it. And he was very, very good with it.

"I am so sorry…"

Alfred turned his lens to the direction the voice is coming from, stealing his attention from the kids.

Behind the lens was his precious librarian panting for air. A thin sheet of sweat on her forehead, her platinum hair that gleams silver under the sunlight fell just above her waist with fringes framing the sides of her face softly. She was wearing a thin, white sleeveless blouse and a light blue skater skirt that clung to her thin, but voluptuous frame. A cream purse was held on one hand while the other was leaning on the backboard of the bench for support as she tried to catch her breath.

"Uhm… H-hi." Alfred removed the camera from his face and flashed a warm, welcoming smile. His cheeks dusted with a faint rose color, admiring her stunning beauty. The feeling of being slightly underdressed now dawning upon him. The girl always looked so elegant without even trying so hard, like one of those high society rich girls who are well pampered and lives in mansions.  
And who's to tell she wasn't?  
But then again, working in a public library probably could not provide well the mere maintenance of a mansion.  
She was just so… effortlessly graceful.

"Are you okay?" The boy jumped on his feet, a hand reaching out hesitantly to support her. His brows creased in wary, as to why she looked like she ran a whole marathon on the way here.  
"S-sorry I'm late." The girl huffed, straightening up to see his blue eyes.  
He glanced at his watch; 11:49 am.  
"Oh. Would you look at that." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "It's alright. I didn't even notice…"  
"Still—" A sharp inhale. "I'm sorry. It just, went out of my mind and… I kind of forgot. If it wasn't for my planner."  
"Don't worry about it." Alfred laughed clamorously—trying to fend the hurt. She forgot… but at least she made it. That's what matters, right? It's not like he spent days grinning like a complete doofus for this special day. People forget dates all the time. Pft. No big deal.

Taking a deep breath to stop his laughter, he noticed her lavender eyes trailing on his camera for a second before she looked at him a little peeved by his unreasonable laughter.  
"Oh. This thing?" He mumbled, waving the gadget before him. The lad's puffy cheeks turned pink yet again, not really knowing if telling her about his hobby for photography would contribute a lot on how she sees him. Besides, he never liked talking and explaining his shots.  
_'It's best that they would tell the story on their own. I think they deserve at least that much._' He told his father once, grinning proudly at his collage. "It's a camera."  
Natalya blinked. "Why, of course. I can see that."  
A bright grin graced his lips, eyes glimmering with excitement.  
"Are you any good…?" The belle wondered, quite curious with this new information.  
His cheeks turned brighter as he snickered at the question. "You tell me!"

Without a warning, he pulled up his camera before his eye and took a picture of her.

_Click!_

The sudden sound alarmed the belle. Her eyes then widened in surprise as soon as the photo was already taken.  
"What the hell?!" She shrieked, blood filling her livid cheeks from the abrupt action.  
A laughter erupted from the lad's lips, throwing his head back at the reaction taken from her.  
Natalya opened her lips to scold, but found no words to express her annoyance. Brows were knitted together as she clenched her jaws, hands being balled into fists.  
"Ugh! Why did I even agree to this stupid date?!" Stomping her foot on the ground, she took a sharp turn and walked away from him which appalled the boy.  
"W-wait!" He called out, catching up easily thanks to his long legs and successfully blocking her path.  
"Move." Sharp eyes bore through his soul, cold and insensate which made Alfred cringe helplessly.  
"I'm sorry! I was only kidding."  
"Get out of my way."  
"N-no, I can't. You agreed to this date. You promised!"  
"Exactly. I didn't know what came over me when I said yes, but I take them back now!"  
A pout formed his lips, shoulders slacking a bit. "That is so unfair…"  
The Slavic scowled, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground and crossing her arms.  
Big blue eyes looked up at cold, purple ones. Wanting her to keep her promise and finish the date with him.  
Natalya narrowed her eyes and hissed, looking away to avoid his gaze. But he kept his, waiting in silence for her to give up.  
For what seems like a solid minute of standing, she groaned and threw her head back. "Fiiiiiine!"  
Happiness mushroomed on his façade once again, hopeful eyes looked at her expectantly with a wide grin graced on his lips. "Really?"  
"But no more photos."  
"But I like taking pho—"  
"NO. MORE. PHOTOS."  
Alfred gulped and stiffened. "Y-yes, ma'am. Understood."  
"Good." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

A sheepish smile flashed upon his face before he jogged back to his bench, picked up his bag and the bouquet resting on the seat.  
"I almost forgot…" He bowed playfully, holding out the flowers for her. "For you, Madame."  
Natalya narrowed her eyes just as she sighed and politely took the roses from him. "Thank you." Soft voice murmured in acceptance. "I'm not a big fan of daisies, though. But I like them."  
The couple began walking under the sun side by side. A sweet smile was constant on the boy's face while her blank, stoic façade never changed.  
"Oh. Really? What are your favorites?"  
"Sunflowers." Pale cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink while her gaze was locked on the purple bunch in her hands.  
"Sunflowers?"  
"_Dy._"  
"Wow. I never met anyone prefer sunflowers over the more romantic ones like roses and tulips. But these little daisies bring out your eyes – they reminded me of you." He grinned, happy to find her opening up about herself little by little. Cheesy bastard.  
"They… they remind me of someone." She explained, a serene face observed the fresh batch of flowers as if getting lost over some precious memory.  
Alfred bit his bottom lip, his hands sneakily angling themselves to snap another photo of the belle. As a photographer with his object of attraction, he simply couldn't help himself from recording each and every angle of the beautiful woman into many frames. Like an Artist finding himself in the perfect landscape of his dreams – wanting nothing but to paint his life away.

_Click!_

Her head snapped up to look at him, cut off from her train of thoughts. Fortunately for Alfred, he already stuffed the camera into his open bag and tried hard to look innocent.  
"Yeah? What is it?" The boy faked, tilting his head to one side.  
"No… It's nothing." She shook her head, sighing. Maybe it was just her imagination.

"Why don't you drink coffee again?"

Natalya scanned the board menu of the fast-food joint, uncomfortable having to eat lunch here. But hey, he was paying. At least that's good enough of a reason even though she was never really a big fan of junk foods.

"Hmm?" She looked up, meeting pools of gentle blue orbs. "Too bitter for my taste."  
"That's too bad… Have you chosen what to eat yet?"  
The Slavic huffed. "Why are we at Mcdonalds again?"  
"I… I like Mcdonalds." Alfred pouts. "B-but if you don't want to, then we can go for a classier restaurant—"  
"No, no. It's fine." It was just their first date, after all. Nothing more than getting to know each other.  
"Are you sure? I don't want to force you eating something you don't really like and all…"  
"_Dy._ Just get me some…" Sharp eyes squinted to read the scribed words on the board. "Fries, I guess?"  
"No… Uh… I don't want to eat on something you are uncomfortable with—"  
"Shut up." The belle snapped, glaring at him. "I said it's fine. Don't worry about it." There was a slight irritation in her voice, but little does he know how much she appreciated his concerns over her. It was really sweet, in a way. "Just get me some fries."  
"Yes, ma'am." He cringed slightly at the harsh demand. Nevertheless, followed her command. "Just fries?"  
"Just fries." Considering potatoes are eaten with almost every meal in her home when she was so young and even until now, it seems like the easiest choice.  
Alfred blinked, pursing his lips in thought. "That doesn't seem right…" He mumbled, brows furrowed. "I will order you a big mac." The lad declared.  
"No, you don't have to. Just get me some fries, okay?"  
With a click of his tongue, he agreed unwillingly. Natalya gave him a stern nod and left him to sit and wait behind their table.

Minutes passed, and Alfred returned with a tray in his hands. The plastic was filled with a mountain full of burgers and fries and sodas much to his delight. The expression painted on Natalya's face depicted nothing but shock which made him gag. A pair of wide, purple eyes trailed on him as he joined her.  
"What are all these?" Her grave, quiet voice asked. Four big macs, large fries, large cokes, and two hot fudged Sundays.  
"Lunch." He chimed, offering her share – the large fries she asked for, a big mac, coke and one of the Sunday.  
"I… only asked for a fries." She breathed out, flabbergasted with the amount of food on their table.  
"I know." Opening the box of big mac, he began to take a large bite from it.  
"Are… are you supposed to finish all of these?"  
"Hmm?" Alfred looked up, taking a loud sip from his first coke next. "Oh! Yeah, I forgot to tell; I will finish all of these, only if you finish yours." He bid his deal, knowing she would neglect her burger if he didn't press it.  
"But can you even finish all these?!"  
A loud laugh emitted from the lad. "I dunno. If you can, then I will." Winking, he knew well the extent of his appetite. Of course he'll finish this in one sitting even without his deal. But, whatever. As long as it will make sure she's eating well.

The platinum blonde scoffed, not knowing how to react to all of these. It's been almost two decades since she moved in America with her family, but never once did she encounter a man with an appetite such as Alfred. So it wasn't exactly a culture shock. It was just him.  
Nevertheless, she swallowed the lump in her throat and began to dig her way through the fries.

"How long have you been living in this ol' land of the free?" The male asked with his mouth full, making her cringe in disgust.  
"I will not answer lest you stop talking with your mouth full." She grunts, making him swallow automatically and blush the slightest in embarrassment.  
"Okay…" He rubbed the back of his head, clearing his throat. Natalya wasn't really the only person who taught him proper table manners, but it seems like she was the only one who could make him feel self-conscious so long as the glower in her face remained. Then again, who could avoid her cold, harsh gaze without feeling the chill and uneasiness it sends? Heaving a shaky sigh, he asked once again with his mouth clean this time; "How long has it been since you moved here, if you don't mind me asking?"  
"I was three when we left Moscow."  
"Really? That long ago?" An inquisitive eyebrow was raised in surprise. "How old are you?"  
The pretty little belle was halfway on taking a sip of her coke when he suddenly asked, making her stop and look up under her thick lashes. The end of the plastic straw playing before her pink lips, tip of her tongue sticking seductively – making him blush furiously. It was not, in any way, her intention to flirt but the unpleasant question simply caught her off guard.  
"Haven't your mother taught you that asking a girl about her age is offensive?" She tilts her head to one side, a corner of her lips twitching the slightest in order to hide her smile before taking a sip.  
"If I had a mother." He shrugged nonchalantly. "My younger brother and I are adopted." A kind smile mushroomed on his lips, not the arrogant or the cheerful one; a simple, sweet smile as if he was saying a quick little prayer for his real parents wherever they are.  
"Oh." Natalya's face dropped, lips pursed while she listened. "Sorry."  
"It's okay. And even though, I still don't have a mother. I have two dads. They're great. Bickers and fights a lot, almost every day. But they're still together until now. Besides, they did a pretty good job raising Matty."  
"Right. I've met him." Ah. That another blonde lad she met in the library. She could remember well whenever he would borrow a book or two from her, though not nearly every day like Alfred. Possibly once a week. But the similarities are quite outstanding. And Natalya wasn't stupid. She knew that they were somehow related. Alfred mentioning about him was simply a confirmation.  
"W-wait— You have?!"  
"I think… I have. _Anna Karenina_?" She recalled, nodding to herself a little. "He seems like a sweet guy."  
"He is!" The lad chortled, simply proud of his brother. "He's really nice. He was the only one who actually learned French from my dad and not me."  
"French?"  
"Yup." He nodded, taking another large bite of his burger. "My dad Francis is French, and my other dad Arthur is English. I'm not really sure how they met but they hooked up and got married in Netherlands a thousand light years ago. They settled here for some business and adopted the two of us.  
Matty… well, Matty was the kind and likeable one ever since we were little. I can't remember but they say Francis was the one who caught his eyes first and then liked him immediately. And then they realized I was his older twin and couldn't bear the thought of separating us. So, here we are." Alfred laughed, rubbing his nape. "But I'm not saying they prefer him over me—it's just that Matty's a natural born charmer. But don't tell him I said that! I would never admit that to anyone in my family. And hey, if it wasn't for Francis taking a liking of him in the first place, then who knows where we'd be today."  
Her eyes fluttered slowly. "So… you think you're not charming?"  
"Woah—" His obnoxious laughter filled her ears, causing her to twitch an eye in irritation. "I never said that! Ofcourse, I have my own ways." The boy winked, making her scoff in return.  
"Like stuffing three burgers down your throat on your first date? _Really_ _romantic_."  
"But—but you said it was okay? We can change re—"  
"I was joking." Grave voice cut him short, façade still blank despite the 'joke'. It seems like it's the quickest way out of the sarcastic remark than telling him not to worry—in which case, he still would.  
His anxious mask wore off a little, stifling a quiet chuckle. "Good one."  
Shaking her head, Natalya rolled her eyes and carried on to her meal in silence.

A silence the man simply couldn't give.

"Enough about me! Tell me more about yourself!" He cheered, looking at her with his pair of bright, expecting eyes.  
A frustrated grunt was received in response, not really wanting to open up to him despite that he's now less than a stranger than before.  
"Oh, come on! It's not that bad. Besides, you don't need to talk about me since I'm clearly an open book."  
At this, she squinted eyes at him suspiciously. "There's no such thing as _open book_."  
"Huh? What do you mean?"  
"Tell me your deepest, darkest secret now." The Slavic demanded.  
"W-what?"  
"You heard me." She leaned back, folding her arms across her chest.  
"I'm not going to do that."  
"Why not?"  
"B-because… Because it's a secret!"  
"But you said you were an open book."  
The lad's chubby cheeks began to turn red as he averted his eyes. "I-I'm still not telling."  
Finally, the belle relaxed – shrugging it off and continuing with her fries. "So you're not an open book, after all. No body is."  
"I get your point." Alfred smiled, placing some fries in his mouth. "Smart. Hmm… So, why did you choose to be a librarian?"  
She bit her bottom lip, not pleased to have the subject back to her. "Because telling people to shut up is my dream job." Her distant expression never changed, but the boy couldn't help but to laugh at this. To him, probably, she's not as cold as people would think she is. Or maybe he was just _that_ dense to enjoy her sarcastic remarks. Either way, the light hearted lad wasn't completely perturbed with her company. He found it rather pleasing and refreshing, somehow. She was different, and in a good way.  
"It sounds like a good job… You like your old bitchy boss?"  
"She's not that bad. Better than most obnoxious people like you, actually." She deadpanned heartlessly which only elicited a chuckle. "But at least she's nice enough whenever she receives your coffee."  
"Oh, no. Don't even remind me." Alfred grunts, placing a palm on his face in embarrassment.  
"No, you should be reminded well. It is the reason I am here, after all. If it's not for shaming you then I wouldn't have come—which, might I say, is very worth it."  
"Well…" He sighed. "I'll have to thank her, then?"  
"If it will please you."

With a shrug, the belle lifted the cover of her burger and held it with two hands. Blue eyes watched her with much amusement, taking in her overwhelmed state while she figured how to eat the large sandwich.  
"Don't worry. You're still pretty in whatever you will do." He complimented, chuckling with a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.  
Her head snapped up, scowling at him despite the bright blush on her face.  
"What?" The American laughed. "It's true... Don't you appreciate compliments?"  
Natalya shook her head, shifting her attention back to the burger. "They're nothing but bullshit."  
"Hmm… Wow. You don't hear that from most girls. Even if they're true?"  
Clenching her jaws, she raised the burger up to her thin lips and tried to take a challenging bite. Most of the grease were squeezed out of the patty from her timid bite, making a little mayo drip down her cheek. The sight only made Alfred burst out in laughter, completely enjoying the scene. It was simply adorable, to see her have troubles with the burger that he can easily take down with mere four bites.  
"Hmpf— S-shut up!" The platinum blonde exclaimed with her still full mouth, a hand covering her face in embarrassment.  
"Nah-ah. No talking with your mouth full." A finger was beckoned to tease her as he laughed. She glowered at him as if she would murder him as she chewed quietly and swallowed, face completely warm with the blood rushing to her head.  
"You jerk!" She retorted once finished, quickly grabbing her soda and taking a sip.  
"What did I do now?" Alfred asked in between of a roar laughter, gentle eyes locked on her. "Don't worry about it! I told you, you're still pretty. Adorable, actually."  
"You're not helping!"  
"I'm sorry." He snickered, though nothing really apologetic in his tone. "You still have a little—wait, let me."  
Motioning the grease and the mayo on the side of her lips, he instead reached out to wipe it off her delicate face himself. A gentle thumb rubbed the dirt off, her eyes widened from the unwanted act of him touching her.  
Rather surprisingly, she was… warm. It was even stupid of him to think of her as some cold blooded princess, but of course—like any other human with a beating heart, she was warm. Even warmer than she normally is, considering the blood already circulating in her cheeks.  
He could feel the breath hitch in his lungs, cerulean eyes locked on wide lilac ones. It wasn't a lie; he was _really, really_ intrigued by her ever since they have met. And maybe it was the attention he has drawn on her alone ever since spring that he's grown to like her. To finally see her in a different light he's tried so hard to neglect before. Nevertheless, it was no secret that he likes her. He wants her.

Breaking every law he remembers he should follow, he cradled her face and leaned across the table to kiss her.

Unfortunately for Alfred, there is absolutely no way for him to break Newton's law of universal gravitation.

Without much of his knowledge, he knocked over Natalya's soda across the table due to his own clumsiness. The liquid was spilled from her chest to the rest of her body, soaking her wet.  
"OH MY GOD!" The lad exclaimed, quickly letting go of her and jumping off his chair.  
Her petite frame trembled a bit, from the cold but mostly in anger but she refused to pay any attention to either him or to her clothes.  
"I AM SO SORRY! I'm sorry, I'm sorry—" He fumbled for the table napkins and ran over next to her, nervously wiping the soda off her chest.  
Which left his mind that she obviously is a _girl_ although she's nowhere near being flat chested. Little did he realize it he was wiping soda off her breasts with a table napkin when he felt her sharp claws stop his wrist from moving any further.  
"Ow—" Alfred squeaked, glancing up at the belle to find that her look she wore never changed despite the current situation. "Ow ow ow ow—" He could sense keen nails digging through his flesh. It wouldn't be news to see his wrist bruised and bleeding afterwards. "Ouch. I'm sorry—"  
"Get your hand off my breast, now." Natalya growled, finally diverting her attention to him.  
"Okay." He whimpered, pulling his hand away but her vice grip never removing.

With his buff bod, Alfred could easily overthrow the belle whenever he wanted. But how on earth could he bring himself to do so? It seems impossible to hurt this fragile little bunch. She was far too delicate despite her multiple attempts to look so omnipotent. To him, she was kitten. A kitten desperately trying to be a tiger to ward everyone away with her potentials. And God knows how he adored her so much because of it.

"What are you trying to do?"  
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't meant to—"  
"Mean to what? Harass me?"  
"No! N-no! I could _never_ do that!"  
"You just did!"

Standing swiftly to her feet, she grabbed the back side of Alfred's elbow to pull him closer and kneed him generously on his groin. The movement of her agile little frame was all too quick for him to process, moreover to deflect.

"OOOOW! FUUUCK!"  
The darkness consumed his vision. All the pain he has felt in his entire life being redirected to his groin, like the center of the universe exploded into a massive black hole mercilessly killing his very core slowly, painfully.

Other people's heads quickly turned to the couple in bewilderment, but Natalya glanced back at each and every one of them with a kind, fake smile to make them relax. '_I'm sorry_' was also mouthed by the lass, effectively getting them to eventually back off and return to their respective meals.

"OH JESUS LORD. MY BALLS!" He cried, dropping to his knees and curling with his hands holding his family jewels protectively.

Taking a deep breath, the Slavic ran her hand through her hair and closed her eyes to relax; disregarding the loud wailing of the man before her. First off, she needed to fix her clothes before dealing more of Alfred. She wasn't even nearly done with beating him up just yet. But certainly, it would be a shame to walk home or get a cab with how she looks right now. The thin fabric of the white blouse has been stained. Moreover, it has become vivid enough to see her silk navy underwear from where it was soaked. Fortunately, her blue skirt remained opaque despite the spilt drink all over it. The wet and sticky feeling coming from the soda becoming more and more irritating and evident each second passing, and it was _his_ obligation to fix this.

"Get up!"  
"I-I c-cant!" The American mewled, trying to choke down his sobs.  
"This is _your_ fault and _you_ are going to fix this! There is absolutely no way I'm going home looking like this!"  
"D-do you have n-no soul?!" He cried, a hand shooting up to grasp the edge of the table to support himself as he forced himself up. "I-I still want to h-have kids!"  
"Get over yourself! This is your fault!" Natalya scolded, kicking his side harshly but came nothing but a slight blow to his hard muscles.  
"I-I know… I'm s-sorry! But can you at least b-be merciful!? T-this isn't e-exactly a walk i-in t-the park!"  
"Good! It means it's working!"  
"H-ha—" Alfred took a shaky breath, the corners of his eyes already moist as he looked up to see Natalya.

Aside from the fact that his groin could be already bleeding without him realizing, it wasn't exactly a horrible view from below. Her plunged blouse clung dearly to her voluptuous figure, the dark lace of her brassiere completely visible.  
_Wow_. That was all that he could think of. If only he could appreciate it better without his own loins desperately screaming for help.  
"Oh, you're not going to get up, are you?!"  
"I-I am, I am! H-here we go…" He cried, forcing himself up the ground. "_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god_…" A shaky breath escaped his lips. Wet, pained eyes looking up at Natalya's pair of stoic ones.  
"Are you done?" She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.  
"DAMMIT WOMAN!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Laaaaaate publish. I know. I apologized. And as a sign of apology, this chapter's 2.5K word count longer than the usual :) As I've said, I'm no longer sure if I can keep up with the 2-weeks update from now on, considering school's gonna kick in and there will be more work for me now than the past years since I joined our college publication. Yadda yadda yadda..._

_I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Again, acknowledgement to SA18LockDragon for beta-reading. 'Til next time! _


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